Propagation and attenuation characteristics of azimuthal symmetric surface waves in un-magnetized plasma column.

Phase and attenuation properties of azimuthal symmetric surface waves are investigated analytically in an un-magnetized cylindrical plasma column based on the transcendental dispersion relation. A novel method of calculating the wave power deposition in terms of complex electric conductivity is proposed. Electron density distribution is obtained theoretically through charged particle balance theory. It is shown that the effect of the electron temperature on the dispersion curve can be neglected when kzα < 1. Both the phase/attenuation characteristics and wave energy deposition properties of the azimuthal symmetric surface wave have an evident dependence on the electron density and the electron collision frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]